Been watching AMC's fantastic series, The Walking Dead and now I got a Zombie itch that needs scratching! Halo 4's Flood multiplayer mode doesn't do it for me so I was looking for recommendations on which Zombie game to pick up? I haven't played any of them to date so I'm essentially at a fresh slate. Which would you recommend?

Have you played telltale's the walking dead series yet? I just finished episode 5 and cried like a bitch at the end, the best storytelling I've seen in a video game, liked it better than the tv show! This game is far more story based than killing zombies though. (its sort of like an interactive movie)

Regarding dead island, I didn't really like it. It was kinda fun, but clunky and buggy I was disappointed with it.

I play a ton of l4d2 (I'm really into the vs multiplayer). Its a super fun game if you have friends to play with online, but the public players are some of the worst I've seen in any mutliplayer game, filled with trolls and griefers

l4d will feel more realistic, like your in the game. But I find Dead island is more fun. (very big open areas which is very important to me)
Dead rising (2) is a great alternative, Its made by Capcom so its feels like street fighter with a zombie twist.
I had the most fun playing coop on dr2 collection parts, finding hidden items, doing missions, saving people, making weapons.
Its less on the zombie experience and more "lets have fun" (this goes with out saying: these are only my options)

Dead Island is far more complex than L4D: it has character levels and skills, weapon mods, side quests, big open maps, vehicles you can drive around (and over zombies, of course)...
It's still a bit of a rushed game though. The first part is awesome (the resort area) but as you progress through the game you get the feeling that they were in a hurry to get it out and maps get a lot less polished and interesting.

Combat is a bit weird at first because you'll be using mele weapons for the most part of the game but once you get used to the first person mele combat system it's actually quite fun.
Weapons do indeed break quite fast. They have a durability stat, and you'll find some weapons that last quite a while, and others that will become useless after a few hits. It can sometimes be a bit annoying but on the other hand if forces you to keep looking for better weapons, and it also adds a touch of survival horror where you can't just rely on your weapons and gaming skills to take out every single zombie you find.

Dead Island has it's share of flaws and bugs, which is a shame because it's otherwise a really good idea for a game.

I'd still take it over L4D any day, but that's just my opinion. Technically L4D is better executed, but it's also more limited and can get boring fast unless you have friends to coop with every time you feel like playing.